Beginning of the End R
by Zerodius
Summary: One year has passed since the demented Nightmare was defeated and the galaxy is finally peaceful. However, within the darkness, an ancient evil is plotting... an evil that might be more powerful than even Nightmare himself was.
1. Behind the Nightmare

OFF: It has been a long time since I last submitted anything Kirby-related and well, I think that the time is right to revive (and finish) my old Beginning of the End fic.

Speaking of it, reading my previous rewrite, I realized that I made some critical mistakes early on in the development of some characters (namely, Nightmare and Yamikage). Even with the fic mixing the games' and anime's universes, Zero being the true ultimate evil, Nightmare remain a central villainous character and thus, continuing the fic with Nightmare's development being so flawed would have been foolish.

Thus, after many months, the fic is finally ready for its final rewrite.

I hope you will enjoy reading this fic as much as I enjoyed planning and writing it out. If you feel like leaving comments and suggestions in the form of reviews, feel free to do so. I don't mind.

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**Beginning of the End**

Prologue: Behind the Nightmare

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A year has passed since the shadow of the organization known as NME finally vanished. 

Thanks to the efforts of the young Star Warrior Kirby, the demented Nightmare was defeated and his fortress blown sky-high. For the first time in countless years, the galaxy enjoyed peace.

Yet, at the edge of the solar system where the planet Pop Star was located, all was not so well.

A hidden planet stood ominously, its atmosphere clouded by a thick veil of black, gooey clouds that blended in with the darkness around it. It was the first planet of the solar system. It was Dark Star, the closest one to the small star at the center of said solar system.

Deep beneath the thunderous, unnatural-looking clouds, a strange world lies. The horizon was red, the very air rippling like crimson flames, not a single ray of light reaching this strange place. Gigantic lamps everywhere bathed the crystal continents which lied over the planet's liquid surface with constant streams of weak, dull artificial light.

Like ants, the denizens of the planet constantly worked. Above the continents of crystal, below the massive fleet of strange black semi-liquid warships but still way above the surface, a strange structure floated.

Extending toward the sky, the structure was a massive castle shaped like an umbrella, its pointy lower section directed toward the core like a threatening spear. Endlessly floating thanks to a mix of the planet's strange gravity and the castle's own devices, the castle cast an ominous shadow over the lands...

Within the castle's halls, everything was silent. Nothing disturbed the eerie silence of those halls of black crystal, not even a single noise. It was as if the castle had been abandoned long ago... yet, one could feel a foul, overwhelming presence within. There was more than just this being within the castle walls but the sheer power of the dark presence was so overwhelming that even the most sensitive mind would have never noticed them. Yet... they were there too.

Then, the silence was broken.

The two massive doors opened as a shadow finally entered the throne room.

The figure that sat on the throne seemed to be startled, brought out suddenly out of its trance. It was a small creature, a fairy more exactly. Although it was still larger than any known fairy, it was still too small for both its big queen clothes and its giant, black throne giving her a rather laughable appearance. Yet, laughter would be the last thing that would come up to anyone looking at this being. A large crown sitting on her little head, long, messy hair hid most of her features although one could still see her creepy smirk and her eyes. Her eyes were the most noticeable feature. In fact, it was the only thing one would see if looking at her. The right eye was a beautiful shade of azure yet its beauty was marred by the fact that it looked strangely lifeless and yet, not. The left eye however... it was a deep crimson taint, the gaze of the eye unnatural in intensity, burning with such venomous, corrosive anger that one couldn't help but feel absolute, raw terror upon seeing the fairy stare back.

Floating near the throne, as well, was a rather perplexing being. Although aided by no wings nor any limbs of any sorts, the large black sphere floated effortlessly in the air, maintaining its position constantly. Large, black, and rather bland, only a crown of brown spikes on the back of its spherical, semi-liquid body and a lone, gigantic yellow eyeball kept it from looking like nothing more than a floating orb of black goo. It, too, was startled and turned to look to the figure that had entered the room.

Covered with its own black and grey cape, the third figure turned to face the figure as well. It had been expecting the newcomer and thus, was not startled. Under the cape and under the black armor under said cape, there was another spherical creature although this one actually had short, chubby arms and feet. Dark, dull blue, so dull it almost matched the color of its cape, the creature's seriousness was mismatched with its face. Large eyes, a cute little mouth, streaks of a different color on its cheeks causing it to seem to have a permanent blush, the creature would have been adorable if it wasn't from its expression which matched that of the fairy and the spiky black ball.

All three creatures now looked at the newcomer, who would have been instantly recognizable to anyone who ever had the displeasure of running into the NME.

It was none other than the demented Nightmare himself, in all of his horrific glory. He stood, high, high above the others, his static interior hidden under a dark blue cape, non-existent shoulders protected by gigantic shoulder guards. Its own horned, vampire-like head was intimidating and grotesque all at once, with its empty, pupil-less white eyes betraying the fact that it was a mask destined to hide its non-existent face.

"So you have finally come... Considering it took you one full year, I hope for you that you have come up with a sufficiently good excuse for your unacceptable failure." Although the fairy was small and her voice was indeed feminine, it was still unnaturally deep and loud, echoing through the room and giving everyone within the room a chill that quickly ran down their spines. The tone of the fairy was as cold as the arctic boundaries of planet Shiver Star.

Yet, the massive caped villain did not lose his grin. He stood there, confident, as he always was.

"You shouldn't worry, my queen. That was only a minor setback. Now that my body has reformed, I will reassemble the NME ranks and indeed seize the last of the Legendary Weapons for the glory of the Dark Matter specie!" claimed high and loud the caped villain. His voice was just as scary as that of the fairy. He sounded so totally demented and evil... yet, his words and confidence in his abilities did not impress anyone within the room.

"Blah blah blah. Always the same excuse..." That was the black, one-eyed sphere. It was now staring at Nightmare with an expression that shown that if it actually had a mouth, it would sigh loudly in annoyance. How it was able to speak using such a deep, ominous voice was anyone guess's considering its lack of a mouth. "I'm sorry my queen but... why do we keep this clown around, anyway? What I mean is that Nightmare clearly demonstrated that he is hopelessly incompetent. He wields our technology, controls some of the most terrible demons in the universe, and command powerful vessels... and yet, he gets himself whipped, repeatedly at that, by those 'Star Warriors' beings. What a wuss!"

"Still your tongue, General Dark Reaper. That he would fail to wipe out the Star Warriors a few times and require some extra troops once in a while and maybe a revival is understandable actually. The Star Warriors used to be a threat. A minor one... but a threat, nevertheless. But still, Dark Reaper's complaint is not exactly invalid either. Nightmare... you DID report that the Star Warriors were entirely wiped out except for one and that the Demon Hunters are scattered at best, their ranks completely devastated. So... tell me... how did a lone Star Warrior and a ragtag group of Demon Hunters manage to defeat you?" said the fairy, interrupting the black sphere. Dark Reaper lost his expression and listened as the fairy spoke.

Nightmare still had his grin, his face unmoving... but deep down, he knew he was in trouble. He knew his story was a bit unbelievable and he knew how the queen was when she was angered. Still, what other choice did he have?

"Actually... that last Star Warrior had Galaxia, the last Legendary Weapon, and furthermore, he wasn't alone. He received help. It's... a long story and..." The massive villain stopped speaking when he noticed that the queen had stopped listening.

The grey being in armor had approached her and was now whispering in her ear. The fairy nodded a few times before turning to Nightmare, her gaze piercing him. Although she was smiling, the smile felt fake, as if it hid an angry frown, a VERY angry one.

"Nightmare... I just received the report. So, you're telling me that one year ago, an entire base full of powerful monsters was defeated. So tell me... how many Star Warriors assaulted the base? How many of them did it take to destroy your last body?"

And at this moment, all of his confidence vanished and his smile suddenly became a big, deep frown.

Now he is in trouble. How is he going to explain to the queen that he was defeated by only two Star Warriors and a pack of demon hunters? Most of all, how can he somehow not make himself look bad when he will reveal that he was beaten by a baby?

Although he could think easily of demented plans to take over planets, making up excuses was not an easy thing for Nightmare. He was used to victory, to enslaving worlds. Making excuses for humiliating defeats was definitely not his strongest point!

Of course, the queen and the other beings around her noticed how the tall villain remained strangely silent... and this only fueled the fairy's rage, driving her mad with a growingly fiery and brutal rage.

"Well... I..." Nightmare hesitated. Truly, there seemed to be no way to lessen the blow and anyway, if he wasted anymore time, the queen would probably do something bad to him... and although he was meant to be an immortal embodiment of evil, he knew all too well that provoking an entity even greater than he is was just asking for trouble regardless of if he could truly die or not.

"I am listening. Speak, at once!" was the queen's final warning.

Finally, the caped dark lord resigned himself. Lying to the queen would only delay the inevitable and beside, she would probably see through his lies. The only thing left to do... was to tell the truth. Thus, he calmed himself, got a hold of his conflicting emotions, put that creepy smirk back on his face, and gathered all of his courage as he gave the long over-due report about last year's defeat.

"Actually... the latest NME operation failed due to a small group of demon hunters who led a raid on our main base, destroying it. They were led by Metaknight, one of the two last Star Warriors. The other Star Warrior was the one that terminated my last body, thus causing the failure of our operations..."

As he revealed the details of his humiliating defeat, the black sphere's eye widened in disbelief. The queen's expression turned into a serene smile while the grey armored being stepped back and leaned against one of the columns, watching the scene carefully.

"Two Star Warriors? I thought that you had killed all of them except for Metaknight and as far as I know, the training of Star Warriors is long, taking centuries. So... tell me... how is it possible that there were two Star Warriors assaulting the base?" she asked.

"Actually... the second Star Warrior had not matured yet. It was still an infant..."

The fairy's smile disappeared instantly. Slowly, a sad frown came to her delicate face and slowly, a small tear came out of her right eye and begun to slowly slide down her cheek... a crimson tear.

At this moment, for the first time in millennia, Nightmare felt pure, sheer, raw, undiluted terror, his face distorting into an expression not unlike the one he had when Kirby shoved all those Star Rod-powered dream stars into his vulnerable core a year ago. The queen only cried blood in one situation... and it was when she was enraged beyond mortal comprehension. He knew he had exactly half a second to try and save himself from suffering a fate so dire it would make him long for mortality so his torment would just end.

"B-b-but it wasn't any infant! I-i-it had the Star Rod, one of the few weapons that can injure me!" The caped villain cursed himself for falling prey to his own element as the fear corrupted his tone, making him sound like a scaredy cat. But then, there was no use in denying it. He was, indeed, experiencing pure, true terror. But well, who was going to blame him? Just the sight of the great queen was enough to make basically any mortal mad with fear.

To Nightmare's relief, the last reply, although not worded to his liking, had succeeded in its intended effect. The fairy's hatred still burnt so hot that her tears of blood were making holes on the floor, consuming it... but at least, it was no longer directed at him... well, not completely.

It was also at this moment that Dark Reaper decided himself to speak openly. The black sphere floated forward, staring intently at the taller evil overlord.

"Please excuse me but... isn't the Star Rod a powerful artifact that regulate the flow of dreams and nightmares within each planet's Fountain of Dreams? Only a being with great power could summon its powers and use it somewhere such as on your base... which means that this was not a common Star Warrior infant. Not even the Star Warriors of Metaknight's bloodline have such power. Tell me... what kind of Star Warrior was it?"

...and it was then that Nightmare finally realized that although his defeat was humiliating, it was absolutely nothing compared to the absolutely monumental mistake he had done. He estimated his chances of survival and eyed the windows, wondering if his insanely great powers could be used in a way or another to teleport out of there before the queen turned him into sushi or something.

Seeing that the masked dark lord was once again hesitating, Dark Metaknight, usually quiet and whose seemingly only mean of communication was to whisper to the queen, decided himself to step forward and speak openly.

"I will answer that question for Nightmare. My own troops have been spying upon the inhabitants of Pop Star for the last few years... and we have observed this so-called Star Warrior. It seems that it is a being not unlike Metaknight... except pink. We then begun to notice some... troubling facts about this new being. However, since we thought that Nightmare was reporting to the queen weekly, as he is supposed to..." At this moment, everyone, included the queen, glared at the villain. Although his face remained the same, embarrassment filled his mind. "...I did not report about this being. But since Nightmare has obviously thought that it was best not to do so, I guess that I will tell everyone what I know of it. Thus... I present you... Kirby."

Slowly, the grey being approached the queen and took out a small disc of sorts. The being inserted it into a slot on the throne and then, slowly, a gigantic screen was lowered and a record was shown...

It was a record of the young Star Warrior, Kirby, fighting a random foe and inhaling an attack and then absorbing it, gaining the fire copy ability.

For the first time since countless millennia, the dark queen's eyes widened... and at this moment, all of Nightmare's fear and embarrassment disappeared as confusion filled his mind. This was impossible! Could it truly be? He could feel a feeling invading the queen's mind... could it be...

...fear?

No! The queen is the most powerful entity in all of the universe! She defines the very word god-like! Even when they were at full power, the Star Warriors were only but mere insects before the limitless power that the great ruler wield!

...and now, she trembles before the sight of a pink, maskless being not unlike Metaknight.

Yes, this being had the name, the appearance, and apparently the same powers as the mythical Kirby that lived countless millennia ago, the only being who could ever oppose and even defeat the glorious, almighty queen. Even this far in the future, the mere mention of the name "Kirby" spread terror among the inhabitants of Dark Star and their allies.

The queen sprung up, her entire body shaking...

"H-h-how... HOW IS THAT POSSIBLE?!?" she boomed, her voice so loud that the entire castle shook. Everyone in the last few miles surrounding the castle probably heard that one.

...and then, Nightmare regained his evil smirk. In fact, he even begun to laugh as the irony of it all hit him. If only they knew!

"How dare you laugh?! Explain yourself right now!" demanded the queen, pointing angrily at the caped overlord.

Nightmare interrupted his creepy laugh and his smile widened, his expression eerie and creepy.

"Simple. For this is nothing to be worried about. My majesty... you KNOW that Kirby's bloodline is long lost. You have yourself made sure that his bloodline would be terminated when you killed his last descendant with your own hands. The being on this record is nothing but a... mistake."

Seeing no reply, Nightmare decided to continue his explanation.

"You see... the last Star Warrior hid on Pop Star after my troops wiped out the last of the Star Warriors' positions. As this last survivor was a descendant of the legendary Metaknight who helped the cursed Kirby and was wielding Galaxia, one of the Legendary Weapons, I figured out that taking him out using a large-scale assault would be a bit... time-consuming. So... I decided to put to good use something I had been keeping for ages in cold storage."

At this moment, Dark Reaper floated forward, doing the Dark Matter equivalent of shaking your head in disbelief.

"Please don't tell me that you..." he trailed off, not finishing his sentence. There was no need to.

"Oh. Do not worry. The cloning process failed. This is only a miserable, half-baked copy with sub-par abilities and a slowed-down growth process. Since it was so weak, I dumped it on Pop Star. Believe me, I was only a bit careless..." Both Dark Reaper and Dark Metaknight pondered on if they should kill Nightmare for this.

...but at this moment, the queen smiled. If that was the truth... then she just had the most devilish plan. In fact, thinking of it all, her hatred all but vanished.

This meant that a sample of Kirby's DNA had somehow been conserved through the ages. Sure, she could blame Nightmare for hiding this from her... but she thought better of it. Nightmare was maybe not the most competent of her minions but he was reliable when it came to accomplishing simple orders... such as designing and carrying out the creation of monsters. She knew exactly what she wanted out of him.

She allowed only her feelings to spike up for no reason. Truly, if this sample still exists, then Metaknight and his newest ally will truly be no problem...

"Tell me Nightmare... Did you keep the sample intact?"

"Yes, of course, my queen. Why are you asking? What do you ask of me?" replied the caped villain.

The queen remained silent for a short moment... but then, soon enough, a small sound escaped from her throat... then another... and then, she burst into maniacal laughter.

The fools of Pop Star... always causing trouble.

Well, not for long. They thought Nightmare and his lousy NME was a handful of problems? They have seen nothing yet! Soon... they shall learn the true meaning of terror!

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**TO BE CONTINUED**


	2. The King's New Monster

OFF: Finally, this chapter is completed. This one was hard because that it was already fine in the first rewrite... but well, I did manage to make a few enhancements here and there and, of course, to squash a few typos and grammar errors. A reliable beta would be quite handy...

I hope you all enjoy the chapter!

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**Beginning of the End**

Chapter 1: The King's New Monster

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An abnormally large penguin in ridiculous brightly colored clothes kept walking in circles in the well-lit if slightly bland throne room, seemingly deep in thought. Dedede, the ruler of Dreamland, kept walking back and forth, frustration gripping his heart. 

It had been a year now since that so-called hero defeated the evil Nightmare, saving the planet and bringing a peace to all of the galaxy for the millenium to come. So, as such, everyone was supposed to like Kirby.

Well, guess what? He didn't like him at all.

All he wanted was respect. You know... being treated like the king he is. But NO! Of course, people had to constantly disobey him!... and that Kirby was the worst of them all!

That Kirby, it was just an insolent kid, not a hero!... but of course, since it always ended up beating up whatever got in its way, the stupid thing got away with it and earned itself the title anyway.

In the past, he used to make deals with that NME Enterprises, buying monsters to try and prove that Kirby wasn't a hero... but strangely enough, the communications had been cut when Kirby defeated Nightmare. Was there any connection between that event and the fact that his teleporter transmitter no longer worked?

Pah! All of that was unimportant!

"Sir! You can't just sit here, brooding all day! Yes, Kirby is kind of well... himself... but you shouldn't let that bother you!" the voice of his adviser, Escargoon. As far as he could remember, the ederly, smart being had always been loyal... and he was thankful for it, deep down. Yes, the adviser forgot his place at times and tried to take initiatives independently of him a bit too often... but still, he was dependable and that was all he really asked of him.

The king stopped his constant walking routine and stood still. An idea had just flashed inside of his darkened mind, illuminating his day with a project. Indeed, he wanted to try something!

Sure, the thing hadn't been functionning for a year now... but well, why not trying it out? There would be no ill consequences from just trying to get that machine to work. In the worst of cases, it will provide a slight distraction of sorts and help him forget about Kirby even if the damned thing still doesn't work...

The king slowly walked to the console and then looked upward, to the empty screen. How long had it been since he had been standing in this position? A long time, indeed.

The servant remained silent, watching his master carefully. Poor Dedede... he had been quite depressed ever since Kirby was accepted as a hero. The servant tried to cheer him up... but ever since the king had gave up upon bringing Kirby down from his title, it seemed that the king had fallen into a state that was definitely not good for his health, brooding and muttering under his breath constantly. Where was the ambitious if not a bit bullying king he had always known? Gone, sadly, it seemed...

Dedede pressed the button, activating the machine. He expected static, just as always... and as the screen flashed, the display became clearer. On-screen was...

"Hello! How can I help?" the voice of the NME salesman echoed through the air from the speakers, his face taking up most of the giant screen. Although it was a new one, it was almost impossible to guess looking at the screen. It was the same purplish blue face with the black , classy glasses. The same perfect grin with sparkling white teeth. The same clean business suit and shiny hair. Exactely the same salesman it seemed...

Both Dedede and Escargoon were equally startled, stepping back.

The new NME salesman smiled, as his predecessor always did... and then decided, seeing as his favorite customer was too shocked to ask for anything, to do a bit of advertisement. The salesman cleared his throat and proceeded...

"We, at NME enterprises, make it our mission to provide customers such as you with the finest in terms of bio-technology and mechanical servants. Our goods are obedient, perfectly loyal, totally effective, and shockingly unexpensive. But you, dear favorite customer, already know this." his grin became imprinted with a fake sadness of sorts... "We, at the NME enterprises, are greatly sadened that rumors stated how we were linked to Nightmare and his forces of evil no do-gooders. Well, rest assured that the NME is absolutely unrelated to Nightmare in any way, form, or shape."

Dedede, finally getting ahold of himself, slowly grinned. Metaknight himself had said it: once defeated, it takes a whole millenium for Nightmare and his forces to regroup. The NME enterprise was back in less than a few years... which meant that they truly had no connection to Nightmare and that his unability to contact them had probably been due to the transmission antenna being damaged or something. Thus, it was now sure, out of all doubts, that it was safe to buy living tools from the NME... but even still, he remembered the past defeats. Kirby... there are no monsters that could beat him in the past. Would it be any different now?

Escargoon, him, thought about it more carefully. Yes, the NME enterprise was back way too fast for it to be Nightmare's own organization... but yet, it was still fishy. The antenna had been intact for all this time and yet, only started functionning again now. But still, as long as the king would be satisfied, did it really matter? The king... it had been so many long weeks since he last saw him smile like this. A sly grin coming to his face as well, Escargoon figured out that maybe it was worth risking it...

"Now... we would like to tell you of a new type of monster that we, at the NME enterprises, have designed!" the advertisement continued. "Forget about the failures of past monsters! We, at the NME enterprises, bring you the Dream Matter!" the screen flashed and suddenly, Dedede saw a familiar figure... or several, actually.

Kirby... Kirby, many times. Dozens of creatures that looked like Kirby and yet, were of various sizes and colors. What was this all about? "The Dream Matters are the latest in bio-technology! Endurant, loyal, and powerful beyond belief, those little spherical beings are unsurpassed in every way, the most powerful monster ever produced by the NME enterprises, nothing less! Featuring advanced copying and power-stealing abilities, increased movement speed, incredible resilience, and great intelligence, the Dream Matters are strong and smart enough to accomplish any task!... and at a very low cost at that!" continued the salesman, finally finishing his long-winded advertisement.

The advertisement finished, the picture of the salesman returned to the screen. Dedede stood there, thinking...

Dream Matters... their description was exactly that of Kirby in a way. Would they do the job? The salesman was saying those were the strongest monsters they ever produced... were they THAT strong?

But then, a thought came to him. The thought of Kirby falling to a creature identical to him was so... so satisfying. After all those defeats, all those humiliations, all those silly displays of bravery and triumph, Kirby would meet his match... at the hands of a creature identical to him, except loyal to the glorious king of Dreamland.

"I'm buyin'." said the king, his smile widening and turning into an eerie, evil-looking smirk.

The salesman simply grinned, his mission accomplished...

* * *

Yamikage stood before the small army of colored puffballs, like a rainbow of spheres, standing before him. To his side, Nightmare floated, his massive frame hovering next to his prime host. 

Such were the queen's orders. Using the sample of the original Kirby's DNA he had kept, he had been ordered to perfect the cloning process and assemble an army of Dark Matter half-breeds. Thus, returning into the mind of the Star Warrior traitor, Nightmare reassembled the remaining monster forces and rebuilt his HQ.

Sure, the base was still in construction and most of the facilities were not completed yet... but seeing the small army he had already managed to create, Nightmare was filled with hope and pride. There would be no need to wait a millenium or anything. This time, he was reforming his forces right here and right now and then, his forces shall sweep into those fools like a thunderous storm! Accustomed to that silly made-up prophecy that states that his defeat brings a full millenium of peace, they will never suspect that actually, it only take one year and a half for the NME to reform and regroup completely in truth. They are in for the shock of their lives!... or rather, deaths.

Inspecting his army, Nightmare did however realize that there was a certain point about his newest creations that could be problematic. Namely, most of them were still infants or teenagers and as such, their powers were not fully developed, their training was incomplete, and their loyalty was shaky at best making them unfit for a proper operation... but it couldn't be helped.

For the sake of completing the task before the next millenium and also for the sake of preserving his own sanity, the intense flow of positive feelings produced during childhood from those puffballs driving him mad, the maturing process of the Kirby clones had been radically shortened. After all, while it was natural for those "Dream Matters" to love him since he technically was their creator and father, he couldn't help but be harmed by all of this love. That was the downside of being a creature of pure negative energy...

Ten millenia ago, he had been able to make the original Dark Matter half-breed age quickly enough to reach maturity within eighteen years. As ten millenia had passed and that Dark Matter technology had evolved since then, he had been expecting to reduce the maturing process to only twenty-four hours, which was the regular growth period for a monster. However, Dream Matters were quite a bit more complex than the average monster. Even using the modern technology of the NME, even the most experimental technology, right out of the prototype, high-security laboratories of Dark Star, had been unable to shorten the Dream Matters' childhoods to the desired period of time. Sure, the clones were MUCH better than this lousy half-baked copy on Pop Star, whose childhood is of a duration of three hundred whopping years... but still, one week is no less than seven times the desired amount of time.

Oh well, this will have to do.

At this moment, a shadow emerged to the side of the ninja and whispered the news to Nightmare's host. The caped villain felt an evil grin come to his face...

So Dedede still didn't learn his lesson... Excellent. It was now time to wipe out that stupid Kirby copy once and for all. All that there was to be done was to find a proper subject for the job...

Looking through his ranks, Nightmare wondered. Since it would be the first fight, he couldn't afford to send one of his most experienced and powerful Dream Matters... yet, if said Dream Matter was to stand a chance of destroying the Kirby copy, he would need to choose one that would still be able to defend itself effectively. Ha... choices... choices...

Yamikage's mind lingered. He wasn't understanding the situation fully but he knew that there was a need to select a monster for the job. An experienced soldier, Yamikage had many advantages, one of these being a knack for sensing the potential and current power level of warriors, an ability that Nightmare appreciated greatly. Still, as Nightmare wasn't an actual Dark Matter and couldn't totally possess creatures, he didn't have full access to Yamikage's abilities... a good reason to let him take things into his hands once in a while.

Nightmare loosened his grip on Yamikage for a short while. Nightmare trusted the ninja. He knew that Yamikage was loyal and that his thoughts were synchronized with his own. He will find the suitable Dream Matter.

Moving his frame around, the shadow of Nightmare following behind, the Star Warrior traitor inspected the different Dream Matters. The colored round beings stood still, all trying to remain serious and calm. Some were successful, others trembled very slightly, trying to supress nervosity.

After a while, Yamikage stopped in front of a red Dream Matter. "He is the right one, master." stated the ninja.

Aldeyl... a Dream Matter about to reach maturity. Agile, fast, powerful, somewhat skilled with the copy ability... yet, his potential was rather mediocre thus earning him a rather low survival priority level. Considering, he was truly fit for the job.

"Excellent, my servant. He is perfect for the task." Nightmare's sinister voice echoed, the evil villain satisfied by his underling's suggestion. The ninja nodded and allowed his master to take over anew... "Now... Aldeyl, isn't it?"

The puffball nodded, his face remaining calm and serious. "Yes, master!"

"As I was saying earlier, to all of you... Dedede is once again our unwilling contact with Pop Star. You, Aldeyl, will be the first to go down there. You are a Dream Matter, the latest in terms of NME technology! I expect you to put up a believable facade in front of Dedede and to terminate Kirby quickly and effectively without fail. Failure is not an option." explained the sinister shadow hanging over Yamikage's head.

A hint of nervosity... but the red round being supressed it easily. A sense of excitement filled him in a way... as well as a bit of fear. Mixed feelings... remniscences of his training... "I will not fail you! I shall obey!" answered quickly the Dream Matter, although a bit louder than intended.

"Excellent... excellent..." Nightmare slowly moved himself and his host back to the central platform on which he had been standing a while earlier, talking to his new creations, before the interruption. Now was the time for the preparations...

Kirby's days were now numbered... or rather, his hours.

* * *

Nightmare and Yamikage stood in the shadows, unseen, as the salesman completed the transaction. 

Standing before the camera, the servant was doing his job. A beautiful wall paper covered the wall behind him, hiding the black metallic walls to Dedede, on the other side. The camera was pointed upward, making the salesman seem much taller and humanoid than he truly was. All around him, the machines had been painted and modified to look less threatening. It was all a set-up... the same they had been using for many years. With the camera not showing the base as it was, it was impossible to guess that the salesman was inside of the NME base. They had even painted the place to keep light from reflecting so that a rogue reflection might not give away the true location of the salesman.

Truly, it was brillant. Aldeyl, the Dream Matter, stood next to the teleporter... "Good! Now, send us the money and the signed contract! You shall receive your purchased Dream Matter as soon as we have received your part of the deal."

"I hope that your Dreamy Master or whatever it was called will get the job done! That thing is mighty expensive, ya know!" whined Dedede from the other side, the advanced speakers of the NME machines transmitting his voice almost perfectly to those standing in the room.

On the huge screen just above the camera, Nightmare, Yamikage, the salesman, and Aldeyl watched as a group of Waddle-dees carried boxes filled with gold pieces and placed them on the large teleport pad, on Dedede's side, as well as a document containing the signed contract. When the king's own servants finished their task, there was a flash of light on Dedede's side and, almost simultaneously, a flash of light in the room.

The boxes of gold pieces and the contract arrived before them. Nightmare instantly rose and made a gesture to the other beings lurking in the shadows.

Making sure not to step into Dedede's view, two dozens of monsters came. Those monsters... were a grotesque sight. Many of them had one leg or arm longer than the other. Some had more eyes than they should, others didn't have enough or none at all. Some of them had bones protruding from their frames, others having disproportionned fingers and heads.

Even the most advanced of production lines produce mishaps once in a while... and as Nightmare bio-engineered nearly all of his soldiers and workers, it was obvious that his production lines would, once in a while, malfunction and produce beings that didn't turn out exactly like they were meant to.

Those beings, the Mistakes as they were called, were a part of mass bio-engineering... and as all Dark Matter generals bio-engineer beings, they all have to deal with them sooner or later.

Considering, it was a bit ironic. Although he WAS a embodiement of pure evil, he was technically more gentle and respectful to his own servants than one might think. He thought about how Dark Reaper was so fond of that awful device known as "The Grinder", a metal cube full of saws, drills, and other harmful objects that "disassembled" living things, reducing them to raw materials. Dark Reaper said it was "constructive biological recycling" but Nightmare found this to be both unnefficient and barbaric. Truly not worthy of a Dark Matter general.

Rather than waste eletricity killing malformed beings, Nightmare prefered to find an use for them. The Mistakes were very conscious of their weakness... but usually, although they were malformed, it was rare that they were totally worthless. Most of the workforce which did the lowly tasks were Mistakes... and ironically, many high-ranked overlords are Mistakes as well. Unsuitable for battle, they were however suitable for physical labor and mental work. Those who were judged hopeless were stuffed in statis capsules and used as living batteries, cutting on the use of gravitationnal power plants, which required a lot of ressources to build and maintain.

Truly, Dark Reaper was dumb not to use them... and the Mistakes' malformations also filled them with anger, envy, jealousy... feelings that were useful in many ways, making the raw substance used for the Dark Power... and the queen's meals. By focusing this jealousy toward the NME's enemies, Nightmare could easily control the Mistakes without ever using any restraining devices or brainwashing methods. All he needed to do was to show them that the NME accepted them, much unlike the exterior world which, in a way, was indeed the truth.

All these worthless fools that live in the light... they are already paranoid of regular, healthy beings from the darkness. Them, accepting the Mistakes? Not a chance! Truly, the only place for Mistakes was here, alongside him, within the ranks of the NME.

The handicaped creatures finally finished carrying the gold out of the room. The one that seemed to be the smartest among them brought the document to Yamikage. The ninja grabbed the contract and read it, the information transmitted into Nightmare's mind. Everything was in order...

Nightmare grinned and made another gesture. The Mistakes left the room silently while Aldeyl placed himself on the teleport pad, a small document, the guarantee for Dedede's purchase, on his left... "We have received your payment. Everything is in order! Here is your purchased Dream Matter! The guarantee's details are included with the product, as usual. We hope you will continue to have business with us, dear customer!"

With that said, a second flash of light on the NME base's side... and then on Dedede's side. Dedede's new purchase appeared before him...

The time has come. Nightmare's grin widened. Dedede will not regret his purchase... and neither will Nightmare! The time has come for Kirby to finally understand what he's up against... and to suffer the wrath of the NME, once and for all!

* * *

Escargoon crossed his arms, raising an eyebrow. "That's it? It seems rather... hmm..." he turned to the king, shaking his head. "I think you've been had, my majesty. I mean... the other monsters you bought were huge and yet, couldn't get the job done. This one is well... a bit small..." 

The king grinned confidently, staring at Aldeyl. The Dream Matter, although a bit larger than Kirby, was by no mean impressive... yet, Dedede was confident. Aldeyl, him, was annoyed at Escargoon's reply and although he had been ordered not to disobey Dedede, nothing had been said about nosy slimy thingies that can't keep their tongues still!

"Get it straight old man! I'm much stronger than any of the other monsters you ever bought! Just try me! I can do it!" Aldeyl tried to sound confident... but although he sounded convinced, deep down, he had a doubt.

Kirby... they said that he had defeated the master. To the Dream Matter, it was hard to believe that the master could be harmed, at all... so the thought of a being powerful enough to defeat the master was genuinely scaring him... or maybe not, as he had difficulties to believe it in the first place. But then, the master had understimated the pink enemy and besides, he was almost an adult, wielding great power. This Kirby creature was a child and would be most definitely inferior both in skills and raw power. Truly, there was no reason to be worried...

As for Dedede... well, this was to be expected. According to what he had heard, this Dedede was the descendant of a great king who had the same name, long, long ago... a king who lived in the time when the original Kirby was alive. THAT Dedede was nowhere near as cowardly and weak as the one standing before him! Never would the ancient Dedede let a Kirby copy humiliate him time and time again! He would have just taken his hammer and smashed it into pink goo long, long ago rather than rely on external help like this one did. In fact, Dedede was not the only one who failed to live up to his ancestors' names... and this kingdom was little more than a collection of sorry fools. This Dedede had little more than a group of Waddle-dees and one whole Waddle-doo. In the prime of this kingdom, at the time of the ancient Dedede, the king had under his control far more troops than just a few Waddle-dees... in fact, he even had technology that rivalized with the Dark Matters' at the time, legendary war robots like Heavy Mole serving under him and beasts such as the original Kracko, who was MUCH mightier than the Kracko clones now produced by the NME, and Whispy Woods serving him. Truly, this Dedede and his kingdom were nothing but shadows of their past. The glorious kingdom of Pop Star that once was a very serious threat to even the NME was now a joke. Such irony...

Still, although he was a wuss compared to this ancestors, it was true that Dedede was a large, imposing figure...

"I'M NOT OLD!" snapped back Escargoon at Aldeyl, upset at the way the new purchase had acted toward him. Dedede, him, got off his throne and got closer, getting a better look at his new purchase.

"Silence, Escargoon." the penguin then smiled... "I must say that this new purchase really has an interesting personality, for once. A nice change from the mindless thingies they used to sell us, that for sure!... although you should mind your place, servant!" at that, Aldeyl nodded and changed his stance, remaining still while Escargoon muttered something under his breath.

With that said, the king continued to talk... "Now, I guess I will test out the power of my new purchase..." said the king. Frankly, this was not something he was usually doing but considering how all of his monsters had failed him in the past, he wanted to make sure that it would get the job done... and this time, he wanted to be truly sure out of all doubts... and the best way to find out if the thingy was indeed strong was to do it himself. Too many times in the past he was told that the monster was strong enough when he was not. This time, he will see for himself.

The king's second-in-command calmed down and focused on obeying the order... "Alright majesty, if it is your will. I will call the Waddle-dees..."

Dedede made a gesture to Escargoon. "Nah! I want to test its power... myself." and with that said, the king took out a huge wooden hammer. Escargoon's eyes widened. "Wha...? But..." he had no time to intervene that the king had dashed toward the Dream Matter.

Aldeyl knew he had to react and prove to his new "master" that he was up to the job.

The red Dream Matter, remembering his training, closed his eyes...

Empty your mind, take a deep breath in, open your mouth wiiiide... and inhale, continuously. Be a vacuum...

Dedede stopped in the middle of his tracks, right in front of Aldeyl as he begun to inhale. Dedede, taken by surprise, struggled to stand his ground... but Aldeyl's inhaling gust was much, MUCH stronger than Kirby's ever was. He could feel the powerful winds gripping him, dragging him closer... and finally, lost grip on his hammer, which flew into Aldeyl's mouth.

Instantly, the Dream Matter swallowed it and before the king, gained the hammer ability. Dedede barely made a step backward that Aldeyl had acted at lightning speed, smashing him into the right cheek with the hammer!

The king was sent slamming straight into the wall, causing the entire room to shake a bit.

Escargoon rushed to the ruler, worried sick. "A-are you alright?!? My majesty! Answer me!"

Dedede remained still for a moment, a moment that felt like an eternity to his second-in-command. Then, slowly, a laugh filled the air and Dedede got up, laughing, rubbing his aching frame...

"Hahaha... HAHAHA! Yes, YES! My best purchase ever..." simply said the king, overjoyed. "Such power... this Dream Matter was really worth every coin! Ten times the amount of power... they weren't joking! Kirby doesn't stand a chance, I tell you!"

Escargoon remained before the king, a bit weirded out by his rather unexpected reaction. "Are you sure you feel alright, sir? You seem rather..."

The elderly servant did not complete his sentence, Dedede turning to Aldeyl... "Don't worry Escargoon. Now, Dream Matter... I want you to find Kirby and to beat him up. Think you can do that?"

Aldeyl had been worried for a moment that he struck Dedede with too much strenght but was relieved to see he was alright. He would have been in trouble if... WHAT?!? Oh... that! The order he had been waiting for. For a moment, he didn't know what to say but then, after a short while, decided himself.

It was his time to shine, his time to honor his master and finally put an end to this so-called terrible Star Warrior. All-powerful? Invincible? Terrible beyond belief? Heh! Not for long! The red Dream Matter aknowledged Dedede's order and, the ability leaving his body under the form of an energy star, left to confront his destined target...

The time has come. Kirby, the hero who will defeat the NME? Please! It was about time his name figured on the casualties list.

* * *

**TO BE CONTINUED**


	3. First Confrontation

**OFF:** First of all... been forever since I updated any of my stories, including this one. I mean... man! It has been a long time! This chapter is so darn overdue!

But well, anyway...

At very long last, I have updated Beginning of the End. In the years that passed, I have improved quite a bit and fixed my Kirby lore a tiny bit. This won't have much of an impact on the story except for one change, dealt with in this chapter. Namely, I am fixing both Nightmare's and Zero's characters a bit (making Nightmare a more serious and believable villain while Zero... well, the change will be self-explanatory). Apart from that, the story is progressing as planned and this is, hopefully, the first of many updates.

I no longer have MicrosoftWord so I am not sure about how good (or bad) this chapter will be, typo-wise and grammar-wise. Hopefully, the grammar should not be a problem.

If you feel like leaving a comment, don't hesitate to do so. Criticism and comments about the story and the characters are what I prefer but if you notice any typos or grammar mistakes that I do consistently, feel free to point these out as well. If you have any questions or suggestions (or even guesses), feel free to tell me too.

I really enjoyed writing this chapter and hope that you shall enjoy reading it just as much as I enjoyed writing it. See you all!

* * *

**Beginning of the End**

_Chapter 2: First Confrontation_

* * *

A gentle breeze blew through the plains as the local star shone brightly, casting the area in beautiful, radiant light. No sounds, no disturbances, only peace and quiet...

It was a large open field to the north of Cappytown, the perfect place for Kirby and his friends to play and for Metaknight to sit there, under the shadow of the lone tree, watching them.

Metaknight had always been a soldier. He was born in an era of war, bound to the endless battle against the NME through both fate and necessity, both his nature as a Star Warrior and an inhabitant of the Universe binding him to the battle. He had trained since he was a child and had spent all of his life fighting and when the last of the Star Warriors fell, he continued the fight in a way, training the unexpected new Star Warrior in preparation for the continuation of the war.

... but now what?

With Nightmare dead for a full millenium and his forces scattered and ruined, what was the use for Star Warriors? Why should Kirby train if there is no enemy left to fight? After all, even with his amazing longevity, Kirby will be long dead by the time Nightmare and his cronies return.

... and so will he.

The war is over. As hard as it was to believe, as desesperate as was the situation just a year ago, they had won. Despite all of the strongholds having fallen, despite all of the Star Warriors gone, even with the foes at the gates of the last, defenseless planets... in the end, they had managed to defeat Nightmare and pull off a miraculous victory.

And thus, as hard as it was to believe, the world was now at peace.

... and it would remain as such for a full millenium.

A millenium... that is a lot of time but still, it also means that the NME will someday return. Sure, they will be long dead by the time they return but they will return. It is a sad fact but their enemy truly seems immortal, finding its source into the fear of all beings. As long as life will exist, Nightmare will forever return... but then, he shall forever be thwarted.

Thus, a new task await him and Kirby. To prepare the next generations so that when the time comes, they will be able to defend themselves and repel Nightmare once he rises from the dead.

Looks like Kirby will have more training before him...

... but watching the young child play with the other children made him smile under his mask. There was no rush to train anymore. Sure, he shall continue to train him but for now, he can rest under the shade of that nice tree and sleep soundly. The world is safe and finally, he can rest in peace knowing that his fallen bethrens have been avenged. Nightmares will no longer haunt his dreams, now...

For the first time since, well, probably forever, the armored masked swordman closed his eyes and allowed himself to drift into real, sound sleep. Although to a normal being such an act was natural, to the warrior it was a moment of pure bliss, his reward for surviving the war. There would be no need to watch anyone anymore, just the peaceful waves of the Fountain of Dreams reaching his mind and making him forget, even if just for a few minutes, all of the pain and atrocities he had endured through his life as a Star Warrior.

Sure, it wasn't complete silence what not with the children playing but still, that was the least of his worries. The world was safe and it was not like an accident would happen in his humble opinion.

But then, as if fate had heard that last one, after several minutes complete silence came to him. At first, the warrior thought that it was the effects of sleep taking over... but on another hand, he suspected that it took one more than just a minute or two to fall deeply asleep.

... and well, it won't hurt to open an eye and watch the children one last time before going to sleep, just to calm his sudden spree of paranoia.

... and well, what he saw didn't please him.

Kirby as well as the two siblings, Tiff and Tuff, stood there, immobile, staring at something and being deathly silent. What was going on?

He opened both eyes and slowly got back on his feet. Adjusting his cape and armor, he then turned toward whatever the children were looking at.

... and what he saw suddenly brought an end to his serenity.

A bright red spherical being, not unlike Kirby, was now standing before Kirby. In fact, the being was almost identical to Kirby except slightly bigger. Not too much bigger but still, bigger.

But the creature didn't have Kirby's innocense on his face. His features were twisted, warped by an eerie, arrogant smirk. For some reason, the smirk on the creature's face woke a nameless fear within his heart...

Who was the newcomer? Was he a new Star Warrior of some sorts?... or maybe was he an evil doppelganger?

Both cases were not likely. The Star Warriors had been wiped out and so were Nightmare's forces.

So... who or what is that thing that looks almost identical to Kirby?

"Kirby, I presume." the red lookalike pointed at Kirby, his tone confident. It was strange to hear a voice so similar to Kirby's pronouncing coherent words and yet, so was the case.

The young Star Warrior blinked a few times, as if he hadn't understood what the red being meant before nodding, a happy smile soon replacing his look of confusion. "Puyo puyo!"

"Hey! I didn't knew that others of Kirby's kind existed! That's pretty cool! What's your name?" asked Tuff, slowly approaching the mysterious red Kirby-esque creature. Tiff, her, wasn't so sure however. The way this being smirked was giving her the creeps, as well. She stood there, not sure how to react exactly...

"Yeah. I'm of Kirby's kind. You may call me Aldeyl..." replied the being. Now that she thought of it, Tiff found that although his voice was like Kirby's, it actually felt very different. Kirby sounded everybit as innocent as he was. This newcomer, Aldeyl, sounded quite arrogant however. In fact, the way he pronounced his words and postured reminded her of a bully. She had a baaaaaad feeling about this...

"So! Mister pink over there is the famous Kirby? The one that defeated Nightmare?" asked again the one calling himself Aldeyl, once again pointing at him, his smirk growing larger by the second.

Kirby nodded quickly while chirping happily in that language of his own. Tuff indeed confirmed that Kirby was, well, Kirby. "Yes, it's him. You've been looking for him?"

The red puffball-like being's smirk widened even further and he stepped back a bit. This being was acting in a way too suspicious way. It appeared out of nowhere, asking to see Kirby. Nightmare was gone and the world is at peace... but well, it was just too weird to ignore.

"What a joke! For one to defeat Nightmare, one has to wield great power yet I see just a worthless tiny child. What a disappointment! And I expected a challenge..."

"Hey! Why are you so mean? What do you want anyway?" asked Tuff, stepping back. He was getting that bad feeling too now.

The red Kirby lookalike smiled to himself, closing his eyes as if remembering something and then he opened his eyes, giving Kirby a sharp, menacing glare that made everyone step back.

"As I said earlier, I am Aldeyl. And Kirby... I shall be the last one you will see!" with that last word yelled, the red copy reached down to an invisible belt of sorts and took out a strange metal capsule out of seemingly nowhere. Shock came to everyone as they saw the symbol and initials on the capsule. It was the NME symbol and initials.

"Look out everyone!" yelled Tiff as she ran to the side for cover, followed closely by Tuff and the other children that had been playing with them. Meta Knight reached to the hilt of his sword while Kirby stood there, not understanding what was happening but already beginning to dislike how the situation had went. He didn't understood why this red being that looked like him had stuff from the NME but if he was a bad guy, he will protect his friends!

Aldeyl thrown the capsule.

Kirby prepared himself to inhale the incoming projectile... but then, as the capsule merely flew a few feet in front of him, Aldeyl did something completely unexpected.

The red Kirby lookalike opened his mouth wide, just like Kirby would when inhaling and then, actually inhaled the capsule before swallowing it! In a flash of light, the red enemy suddenly found itself wearing the Fire Ability cap!

Somehow, the foe had been able to use the copy ability!

Kirby stood there, wide-eyed. Somebody else could use the copy ability? That was-

His thoughts were suddenly interrupted by Aldeyl yelling "THINK FAST!" He barely had the time to refocus on what was going on that he felt incredible pain, Aldeyl using the Fire Ability to turn into a fireball and slam violently into Kirby.

The pink puffball screamed in pain as he was sent flying. Not only was the impact very brutal and painful but he found himself enveloped in flames. Kirby landed painfully on the ground after a short flight, the flames thankfully disappearing on their own. Still, that had been more than unpleasant.

Although Kirby was tempted to cry, fact is, that thing was bad and had just attacked him. It was a threat to him and his friends... and well, no one threatened him and his friends.

The pink puffball frowned, slightly ticked off, getting ahold of himself. Aldeyl wanted a fight? He'll beat him up like all the other bad guys!

"Come on! Fight back! It's too easy!" taunted his foe before breathing a couple of fireballs toward him.

Bad idea. Kirby opened his mouth wide and inhaled the fireballs, not only making the attack null and void but after swallowing the flames, he found himself with a Fire Ability cap of his own.

The pink puffball kicked into the ground and dashed toward the enemy as Aldeyl seemed surprised for about a second before putting back that nasty smirk back on his face. Then, as Kirby spun about and enveloped himself in flames before trying to tackle his foe, Aldeyl effortlessly side-stepped out of the way, causing Kirby to sail right by his target and smash into empty air.

Kirby quickly looked around, a bit confused. Where is his foe, now? He knew he hadn't hit it ; he didn't feel the impact. Where is it?

_**BAM!**_

Kirby yelped as he turned around just in time to receive Aldeyl's fist right in the face. The pink puffball staggered backward a bit, trying to focus despite the little birds that were now spinning around his face. Had Aldeyl suddenly swapped his Copy Ability to Fighter?

How strange, the foe is still wearing the Fire Ability cap. So... how come it--

_**WHAM!**_

Smirking, Aldeyl punched Kirby's face again.... and then again... and then, suddenly, Aldeyl's fist seemed to turn into a red flurry as he punched continuously at a surprisingly high speed considering he wasn't using the Fighter Ability.

"I'm not even breaking a sweat there!" taunted Aldeyl as he grappled Kirby and then proceeded to slam him violently into the ground.

Kirby tried to recover but the attack had left him dazzed and then, out of a sudden, Aldeyl slided on top of him and moved his feet incredibly quickly, slamming them into him at an incredible speed, as if tap-dancing on top of him, incredible pain raking through Kirby's entire body.

Then, Aldeyl made a short hop before slamming downward, swinging both feet in a scissors-like motion, kicking the puffball away. Kirby bounced a bit on the ground before coming to a stop a few feet away. Badly bruised, the pink puffball slowly got up. His entire body was hurting and he could already feel the effects of the beatdown he had received, his feet shaking a bit.

Tiff was frowning. That foe was fast and strong! But... where did it come from? She was there during the final fight. She saw Nightmare's death with her own two eyes as well as the destruction of the NME base! So... where do this doppelganger comes from? Why does he have NME equipment? What's going on here?

What was obvious was that Kirby was outclassed right now. Aldeyl somehow had Kirby's copy ability and very good melee combat skills. If only she had a way of helping him...

Tiff looked to the other children. Surely, there must be something she can throw to Kirby so he may use it to produce a copy power that will be a match for Aldeyl.

While Tiff looked for a way to help Kirby, Meta Knight had a more definitive idea. Aldeyl was powerful but blind to what was happening around him. Quietly, the armored being unsheated the golden blade, Galaxia. He suppressed its power for a moment, preventing it from glowing so it wouldn't catch the red doppelganger's attention and made mental calculations.

At this moment, Kirby breathed a salvo of fireballs. Grinning arrogantly, Aldeyl sprung into the air, jumping over the flames and landing closer, his expression still the same.

"Pah! Worthless!" he taunted before turning around, having predicted Meta Knight's charge.

Meta Knight stopped in his tracks as Aldeyl opened his mouth wide and begun to inhale. The strength of the gust of wind was such that his eyes widened, the Star Warrior slamming his feet into the ground while he gripped Galaxia's hilt with both hands, fighting off the wind current with all of his strength. But although he could easily fight off Kirby's inhaling, Aldeyl's was magnitudes stronger. Despite his attempts, he was slowly sliding closer to the red doppelganger, inch by inch.

Of course, this meant that Aldeyl had turned his back to Kirby. The pink puffball took the opportunity to strike back, engulfing his body in flames before sending himself flying under the form of a fireball.

The red puffball was so concentrated on trying to inhale Meta Knight that he never saw the pink puffball's counter-attack coming. Aldeyl's eyes widened as he felt pain as Kirby slammed into his back with all of his strength, making him close his mouth as he was sent face-first into the ground, leaving large burning marks on his back.

Meta Knight reflected on what just happened. Galaxia was a Legendary Weapon. If Aldeyl inhaled him, he would steal the weapon from him which, obviously, cannot be allowed to happen... especially if the equipment this doppelganger got is a proof that his worst fears might have come true. Thus, Meta Knight backed away, putting some distance between himself and the enemy. He had to find another way of helping Kirby.

Aldeyl, him, got up, his smirk replaced by an angry frown, his right eye twitching with rage. For a moment, he considered yelling expletives at that pink loser but he caught himself at the last moment. This was Ki wasone who had destroyed his master. He had been foolish to expect it to be so easy. No matter, he's still superior!

"So you're not totally weak. This might be fun after all. Let's try something different!" he said, taking out another capsule.

Aldeyl's fire cap vanished in a flash of light, a star leaving his body and bouncing away before fading to light dust as he thrown the capsule into the air, inhaling it. There was a second flash of light and Aldeyl found himself with a sword in his left hand, a matching sword ability cap now on top of him.

Kirby frowned, watching his opponent intently...

Aldeyl charged forward, raising his sword as his eyes glowed with murderous intent. As he brought it down in an overhead slash, Kirby dodged to the side before opening his mouth to breathe fire. The stream of flames caught air as the red puffball dodged as well, rolling forward before jumping back toward Kirby, slashing with his blade in an upward motion, catching Kirby's side.

Kirby flinched, feeling the blade cut into his soft skin but he had no time to process what happened that Aldeyl chained his attack with another. Aldeyl's eyes were widened with pure, insane fury as he swung his sword with all of his strength, slamming the blade into Kirby's body again and again, not letting him move, each strike making him step back only for the enemy to step forward, slashing again.

Aldeyl then wound up and slammed the hilt of his weapon straight into Kirby's face, making him yelp in pain, staggering backward. The young Star Warrior was sent rolling backward a bit before coming to a stop, lying down on his back. The world spun around him, a strange warmth coming to him, as if some kind of liquid was beginning to cover him. The pink puffball felt awfully tired for some reason, the temptation to sleep coming up. For a moment, he considered it but he saw figures around him, the figures of his friends.

Kirby slowly got up despite his injuries, feeling incredibly dizzy. His entire body was covered with cuts and bruises and he had obviously weakened from the beating he had received.

Tiff watched with horror what was happening. Kirby was going to lose, it was obvious. There was to be a way to help him!

... and then, it finally clicked in her mind. That ought to work!

She quickly turned to Metaknight. He turned to her and saw her stare at her... and it was then that he caught on. This was worth trying.

He couldn't intervene directly... but he did happen to be carrying a spare blade all the time. Although Kirby was skilled with all of his copy abilities naturally, his skill with the sword copy ability was especially great due to being trained by an expert swordman. Thus, it would be more than probable that Kirby's skill with this ability would be superior to Aldeyl's.

Meta Knight reached for his spare blade and prepared himself. Tiff whistled at Kirby, causing him to spin to face his friends. At first, he wondered why... until he saw Meta Knight throw his spare blade at him.

Aldeyl stared at Kirby, frowning deeply, preparing to strike when he heard the whistle and saw the sword.

"Oh no you don't!" he protested, his ability cap vanishing as he expelled his ability under the form of a star.

Just as Kirby opened his mouth to intercept the spare blade so did Aldeyl.

Fortunately, Tuff had been watching the whole thing and figured that now was the time to intervene. What could he do? He didn't have Meta Knight's strength or his sister's intelligence. But then, if no one did anything, Aldeyl would absorb Meta Knight's spare blade and Kirby would have no chance. Unless...

Tuff grabbed into the ball that they had been using earlier when the had been playing. He aimed at Aldeyl and thrown it with all of his strength.

"Hey! You jerk!"

_**Bam!**_

Aldeyl received the ball right on the side, making him flinch. Losing his concentration, he shot an angry glance at the kid who had dared to get in his way.

But the distraction had worked. Kirby inhaled with all of his strength and the spare blade disappeared into his mouth, Aldeyl having been too busy glaring at Tuff to intercept the blade. Swallowing the sword, light covered Kirby for a moment before he took out a sword of his own, a Sword Ability cap on him.

Aldeyl turned back to Kirby, noticing the cap and blade, and frowned deeply. This... had not been expected. Stupid kid!

As Kirby came charging, sword-first, Aldeyl kicked into the ground, performing a backflip and leaping right out of the way. Landing behind the bouncing star that had left him when he discarded the Sword Ability, the red copy opened his mouth and swallowed the star. Instantly, he regained his Sword Ability and swung his own sword in front of him, glaring angrily at the pink puffball.

"You're going down, pink loser!"

Kirby saw Aldeyl charge straight at him, his sword overhead. The pink puffball's eyes narrowed as he stared at the red copy and then, Aldeyl brought his sword down.

_**CLAAANG!**_

... but rather than the sound of steel against flesh, the distinct noise of a metallic impact echoed.

"What the-" Aldeyl barely had time to realize that his assault had failed that Kirby countered. The pink Star Warrior swung his sword to the left, making the red puffball spin slightly before he drove his blade straight into Aldeyl. And just as Kirby's skin could not stop a blade, neither could Aldeyl's. Kirby plunged the sword deep, the attack making a squishy sound.

Dropping his sword, the Sword Ability cap vanished as the star of light appeared again, leaving Aldeyl's body and bouncing away before shattering into dust. Shaking, red liquid starting to drip from his mouth, he reached for Kirby's arms, staring in disbelief.

Kirby did not allow him to act. He pulled out the blade and begun to swing the sword with all of his strength. Aldeyl stepped back, staggering from the repeated impacts, each strike opening a deep wound. Somehow, that stupid pink loser had managed to get the upper hand.

Feeling his strength fading, the red lookalike reached for his invisible belt and took out another capsule but this time, Kirby did not allow it.

_**SCRLASHL!**_

Aldeyl's eyes widened in a mix of pure shock and anguish as his hand was separated from his arm. He grasped his wrist with his other hand, his entire body shaking as he tried with all of his will to refrain from screaming in pain, glancing toward the last location Kirby had been... only to find he wasn't there anymore.

He barely had time to wonder where Kirby had been that Kirby landed straight on top of him, plunging his sword deep into his frame.

The strike did massive and immediate lethal damage. The steel blade went straight through Aldeyl's brain and broke through his heart as well. The strike finished, Kirby leaped off his defeated foe as Aldeyl staggered.

"Wh-why..." whispered Aldeyl, confusing filling his mind as everything was growing dark around him despite it being daytime. He felt so strangely dizzy and tired, his body feeling stiff, as if his heart was not beating anymore. His eyes begun to water, the pain unbearable.

He couldn't believe this. He wouldn't accept this. He was going to die on this miserable backwater planet, killed by a mere child with inferior abilities. What a joke.

As he collapsed, Aldeyl thought of his friends back at the base and regretted that he would never see them again.

Kirby stood in front of his defeated foe, panting. Aldeyl was obviously not defeated for he had not exploded and faded like other bad guys when they're beaten. He stared at the red lookalike, waiting for him to get up...

Many seconds passed and slowly, Kirby begun to notice a few things. His sword... it was covered with red liquid, that same strange red liquid that came out whenever he or his friends were hurt. He looked at the blade, confusion filling him. Monsters did not have that red liquid. Why was the sword covered with it? He turned back to Aldeyl. The fallen red puffball was lying down face down in a pool of that same red liquid... liquid that had poured from him.

"Pu... puyo?" that made no sense. Aldeyl was a bad guy. He had beaten him up badly and threatened his friends. What was going on?

Tiff was disturbed for a different reason. This new monster... it had been a perfect copy of Kirby, right down to the Copy Ability. And not only that but it had been carrying capsules that not only gave it whatever power it needed but also had the symbol and initials of the NME on it. This could only mean that... no. She was there. She saw him die with her own two eyes. And yet, Aldeyl and his powers... those capsules.

Did it mean that he could be back? So early? And with monsters like this?

Meta Knight had seen enough. He stepped forward and waved at the children. "Please return home. Do not linger around here!"

They looked at him for a moment before beginning to walk away. Tiff and Tuff lingered a bit, staring at the knight as if seeking answers. But he could not give any, not now. Not when there were so many unknowns and too many possibilities. The two, noticing that Meta Knight would not change his mind, turned away and begun the trek home as well.

With everyone gone, the older Star Warrior walked to the younger one's side. He had discarded his Sword Ability, realizing that Aldeyl was soundly defeated. Yet there seemed to be something wrong. Kirby had one hand on the red puffball's frame, confusion filling his mind. That was a bad guy and yet... he was not gone. He had died like a good guy...

"Kirby."

The child turned to face the older knight. Meta Knight could see clearly that Kirby was troubled by this turn of event.

"Do not worry. I will deal with this. Go back to Cappytown and get some help. You will need help to get those injuries healed."

"Pu... puyo." Kirby said softly before walking away, leaving Meta Knight alone.

The older Star Warrior stood alone before the body of the dead enemy. He bent down and removed the capsule that was in Aldeyl's severed hand. Using his cape to wipe off the blood covering it, he saw the symbol and initials of the NME, clear as day, upon it. He could feel it in his hand, radiating power. This enemy's attack and the presence of this capsule could mean only one thing...

... and such power. Defeating them had been difficult enough before but if Aldeyl was any indication, he had a bad feeling regarding the future.

But most importantly... how could he have returned so soon? It should have been impossible...

* * *

"My queen... you are back..."

The fairy bowed down, her body shaking. A wide smirk could be seen on Nightmare's face as he leaned against a column, arms crossed. His expression seemed tell her 'told you so'.

"Yes." her tone was flat, bored. Her single crimson eye scanned the room and finally set upon Nightmare. Instantly, the great caped figure's smile disappeared as he stared down. Her eye looked back to the throne... "And I see you had. Fun. While I was gone."

"N-no! No fun at all! I just took your place while you were gone as you had orde-"

The taller fairy rose her right hand and made a slashing motion, causing the shorter fairy to fall silent instantly.

Her movement had been slow, precise and yet, somehow robotic and unnatural. With the smaller fairy silent, the taller one approached the throne and then, a disgusting, crunchy sound was heard as two long, mishapen tentacles as white as snow and ending with blood red blades emerged from the fairy's back. The two tentacles slammed into the various gadgets the smaller fairy had installed on the throne and thrown them off before retracting back into her body.

With the gadgets gone, she sat on the throne and used her left hand to adjust her very long white hair. Her skin was deathly pale, with the veins and nerves clearly visible and as she adjusted her hair, a glimpse of the gapping, bleeding eye-shaped void where her other eye used to be became visible for a moment, making the smaller fairy shudder. She then brought her hand to her golden crown on her head, adjusting its position, making sure that her long claws did not scratch the glowing metal.

Once everything was in order, the taller fairy looked down at the smaller fairy, her unchanging, cold, emotionless frown and blank stare boring into her soul. There was something... unnatural with the way her face and eye never shown any emotion at all.

"So. Miracle Matter. it seems that you disappoint me yet again. How surprising." her tone was the same as ever. Cold, emotionless, heavy from an infinite, absolute boredom.

Yet, the smaller fairy was not fooled. Despite the calm in the queen's voice, she knew that she was in trouble.

"I had asked you for one simple task. To bring back the last of the Cosmic Weapons back to me. But it seems that even such a simple task is beyond your capabilities."

The smaller fairy got up, a frown forming on her face. "N-no!"

She looked around in a frantic manner, looking for a way to save face. Her panicked gaze set upon Nightmare and she quickly pointed at him. "It is his fault, great Zero! Nightmare has, once more, demonstrated that he is not fit to be in your presence by failing to crush a single Star Warrior and a failed experiment!"

Nightmare had seen the jab coming from a mile away. He chuckled darkly to himself before uncrossing his arms. "My mission was to wipe out the Star Warriors, not to recover Galaxia. I have done as I was ordered, wiping out the Star Warriors at little cost. There is only one left now."

The small fairy panicked even more, her frown growing deeper. "This wasn't what you were saying when you made your report! You were shaking in fear, calling me 'your queen', whining about how you go stomped by a lone Star Warrior! And yeah, you beat the Star Warriors at little cost... at the 'little' cost of your main headquarters and your main host body!"

_**BAAAAM!**_

The Dark Matter queen slammed her fist into the throne, the noise of the impact rolling and echoing through the room many times. Instantly, all of the queen's generals fell silent.

"I am growing tired of your petty, meaningless squabblings. This universe is nothing but an empty, yawning chasm of meaningless emotions and thoughts. The fact that you waste your limited breath and time over such endeavors bring forth a great frustration within me. I will demand of all of you to stop and to focus on the purpose I have given to you all for once."

No reply came. With her lone eye, the taller fairy scanned the room, her empty, unfocused gaze brushing each of the generals, making them shudder as they felt rippling, rolling waves of a cold, unnamed feeling wash over them.

With the generals silent, the Dark Matter queen pressed a button on the throne, making a screen scroll down from the ceiling. An image of Pop Star appeared on it...

"I am tired of toying with this planet. Dark Meta Knight, Miracle Matter, Dark Reaper, you will prepare an assimilation fleet. Nightmare, you will proceed with your schemes. You shall pick among your minions new creatures and gather intelligence on the surface of the planet so that the Dark Matter armies may have the tactical advantage upon arrival."

A smirk returned to the caped villain. "This will not be necessary. That rogue experiment should be dead by n-"

He could not finish his sentence that the Dark Matter queen's lone, unfocused eye locked its empty gaze upon him.

"Your minion, Aldeyl, is dead. You will pick new minions to-"

"What?" interrupted Nightmare. "I have barely sent him before going here. This is impossible he-"

It was the queen's turn to interrupt him. "I have felt his pain surge in the cosmic eternity before his soul became one with oblivion. He has failed you and by extension, me. You should take care to remember your place in the future, Nightmare. I am not as forgiving as Miracle Matter is. If you become a liability, you will regret ever coming into being."

The Dark Matter queen turned back to her slow scan of the room. "Now, begone. All of you."

The smaller fairy nodded before running out of the room. Frustrated and feeling his entire body somehow shaking, Nightmare's body vanished as he teleported away. Dark Reaper, who had remained silent the whole time, closed his sole eye and turned down slowly, making a Dark Matter's imitation of bowing down to someone, before melting into the floor, leaving the area. Only Dark Meta Knight remained, still leaning on a column near the throne.

Sensing his queen's intention, her most trusted general spoke up. "What is your will, Zero?"

"They are incompetents, all of them. But I trust you to succeed where they will fail. Nightmare is nothing more than a fool, convinced that his limited link with the fear of mortals make him a significant force in the cosmic order. He is gravely mistaken. His will is flawed and his Dream Matters, like all of his past minions, will fail him lamentably." her head turned so that her bored, unfocused stare was fixated upon Dark Meta Knight... and that, despite the head turned in an angle that the neck could clearly not support, the neck twisted in a sickening manner. "I want you to observe the wielder of Galaxia carefully. I have. Special. Plans. For him."

"My queen." he replied. "What of the rogue experiment, the Kirby clone? In the past, that abomination thwarted our schemes time after time. Should I take care of him immediately, before he may become a threat?"

"He is not a threat." said the Dark Matter queen. "Although his body is that of my late arch-nemesis, he is but a mere flash in the cosmic order, a mere shadow of what our original enemy used to be. He is of no importance at all. He is but a mere, limited mortal. He shall be swept aside like all of reality before infinite hatred. Focus your efforts upon the last of Meta Knight's bloodline instead. He is but a mere mortal, unable to affect the order of things. But as the wielder of Galaxia, he may be able to affect my greater plan slightly. You are to ensure that he remain unable to impact the destiny of all existence."

Dark Meta Knight bowed down before the figure of his queen. "Your will shall be done, Zero."

The head of the queen slowly spun back to a natural position, the queen turning to the door as her trusted general faded into the shadows. Soon... very soon...

* * *

**=TO BE CONTINUED**


	4. Evil Awakened

**OFF:** Next chapter is done! Starting from there, the plot will start to differ from the original. Although the general chain of events will be somewhat similar, this chapter is where the differences should start to appear obvious.

It's shorter than the last chapter but should hopefully still prove enjoyable.

Enjoy!

* * *

**Beginning of the End**

**Chapter 3: Evil Awakened**

* * *

"So Zero was saying the truth..."

Nightmare was barely listening to the report that his minion was giving him. To tell the truth, he already had an idea. After all, he had heard that report countless times in the past as Kirby had destroyed his older monsters, no matter how carefully crafted. He had better to do than listen to an epiphany of disaster, no matter how well-worded.

He still remembered Zero's words. Despite the millenia, the Dark Matter queen still disturbed him on a primal, visceral manner. He is Nightmare, the embodiment of all fear. He was created from shattered, corrupted dreams and infused with the Dark Matter species's superior essence, allowing him to synchronize himself with all fear and effectively wield limitless power. The fact that even he, an immortal wielding literally infinite power could be overpowered so soundly by Zero was more than a bit distressing. Where did her power come from? How could she sense the future and divine the thoughts of others?

"-and that is all, sir."

As if on cue, the elevator that he had been riding came to a stop. To be fair, he didn't really need to ride that elevator with that minion. He could have simply incarnated somewhere else but he had better uses for his power than this. Moving his body physically took time but time was a ressource he had plenty of.

As the large doors of the command center opened, the caped overlord was greeted by the sight of his trusty minions. The command room was very large, designed to contain the many hundred of minions who would surely wish to be directly there as the villain would give his orders and pick volunteers for missions.

His eyes scanned the faces of each of his minions. Despite being monsters, their expressions were impassive, blank, determined. He had designed and crafted each of them carefully, programming and then training them to the limit. Each monster was a marvel of bio technology and discipline, each was a perfect soldier sharing the overall vision and whose loyalty in the Dark Matter cause was unquestionned. They would succeed in their mission or die trying.

The problem was that so many had died trying already and now, Aldeyl was a new name in a casualty list that was already far too long. The fact that his minions were expendable did not make their deaths any less tragic and this crippled morale. So far, anger and hatred of Kirby kept the ranks united but Nightmare was not sure, should that pink reject survive much longer, if it would remain the case that much longer. They needed a victory and quickly or morale would collapse and they'd have bigger problems than a single rogue experiment.

It was so strange in a way. A few days earlier, Kirby was already pronounced a non-factor, everyone convinced that Aldeyl would finally kill him. After all, Aldeyl was Kirby except better in every way and equipped with fancy NME gadgets. Aldeyl losing was at best a theorical risk. Yet now the idea that Kirby might become a long-term threat to Nightmare's plans was more than a mere possibility, it was now an imminent reality that had to be planned around.

Nightmare had undestimated Kirby once. For that, his last physical body was torn apart, his previous headquarters were reduced to space junk, and his personnel was slaughtered like cattle. He will not make that mistake twice. For his next intervention, he shall send one of his most experienced minions and inflict upon Kirby a decisive defeat. He had done a mistake, sending a minion with only basic experience and thinking that it would be sufficient.

As usual, Yamikage stood before him. The traitorous Star Warrior bowed down briefly before his master. The ninja had been quick in noticing the change in attitude of his master.

"Yamikage, select the most experienced and battle-worthy of the Dream Matters."

Hearing his master's orders, the ninja got to work once more. Just like last time, the former Star Warrior approached each of the minions and begun to inspect them, seeking the one who had the greatest battle potential.

While this was going on, Mistakes raced around the room, preparing the room for King Dedede's next transmission while the NME Salesman looked over his pre-writen speech. Dedede would most likely be very angry to see his latest purchase defeated with such ease and the NME Salesman would have his hands full trying to calm down the selfish king and trying to convince him to 'buy' a replacement.

After a moment, Yamikage returned to his master's side, followed by a green Dream Matter. Although only slightly larger than Aldeyl had been, Nightmare recognized that particular minion. Duales, a female Dream Matter not much older than Aldeyl. She was very unstable but she had been one of the few to actually master the Fusion Copy Ability, one of the most potent forms of the Copy Ability, one that the original Kirby himself had wielded at the peak of his power. Although it might seem to be overkill, Nightmare would not be humiliated twice. Duales's victory will be most spectacular and stand in stark contrast to Aldeyl's failure.

The caped villain's mind joined with that of his minion for a moment, his power washing over him. The ninja nodded, understanding the will of his master and walking away once more, joining the shadows again. Even now, the monsters begun to walk back into the shadows, preparing the scene as the Mistakes finished the preparations for Dedede's transmission.

"Sir," said the NME Salesman. "King Dedede will call soon. It would be best if you went out of sight until the next transaction has been completed."

Nightmare nodded before looking down upon the figure of Duales. She stared at him, her expression understanding.

"Your task will be extremely simple." he said. "In my name, destroy that failure, Kirby. You may use whatever methods you see fit to achieve your goals, just make sure he is gone."

The female Dream Matter bowed down briefly. "Your wish is my command, master."

Nightmare stepped back into the shadows, blending with them as Duales got into position. Soon enough, the lights were turned off as holographic displays were activated, the transmission now beginning.

"Salutations dear customer and welcome to the NME network! How may I help you?" said the NME Salesman in his ever cheerful voice.

The display showing Dedede's face shown that he was, much unlike the salesman, not cheerful in the slightest though. "Your stinky Dream Matter got stomped! You told me that thing was the best monster you ever created and would whack that Kirby without a problem. Well get me the customer service on the channel right now because I got complaints!"

The NME Salesman had predicted that reaction as everyone else had. Unphazed, he carried on as planned. "Ha? That Dream Matter must have probably been deffective. For only a very small fee, we will issue to you a much better replacement. Bigger, faster, stronger, more obedient, and of course more than capable of 'clobbering that Kirby'."

"Oh really? And for what kind of 'very small' fee? Half my treasury? That Dream Matter thing wasn't cheap!"

Again, that reaction from Dedede had been predicted and taken into account. "No no no, my good sir! By very small fee, we mean a very small fee just as reasonable as one could think of."

In an instant, the fee was displayed for Dedede to see. "For that very tiny fee, you shall be issued a replacement. And not just a mere replacement but one that has more than double the power! The last Dream Matter we sent you merely had the power to copy an enemy's own power. This new monster is an improved version that can not only copy powers but take powers from multiple targets and then mix those powers to form an even more destructive power! This new Dream Matter will not merely copy power from its target but take said power, improve upon it, and then use the improved power to overwhelm its hapless target. Believe me, sir, this fee is absolutely laughable for the value of the offer shown."

The king looked at the fee, his face softening for a moment before he nodded. "Well... that fee really is reasonable..." his face hardened quickly again though. "There must be a catch."

"Absolutely not, dear customer." replied the NME Salesman. "The Nightmare Enterprise take pride in its quality products and in the flawless service that we deliver to our customers. As you were given a less than satisfactory result, it is our duty to correct that wrong hence this new offer."

King Dedede really seemed to be buying it. He was smiling by now and quickly turned to his own minions. Within an instant, the Waddle Dees on his side moved the crate filled with gold to the teleporter. Mistakes scrambled to move the crate out of sight while Duales moved in position and was soon enough teleported to the other side.

"Thank you for doing business with the Nightmare Enterprise. We wish to see you again in the future! Have a nice day, sir!"

"Yeah yeah. That one is better be as good as you claim though." and with that said, King Dedede ended the transmission.

With the transmission over, Nightmare and his minions begun stepping out of the shadows, the various Mistakes removing the background objects they had set up and placing back the various consoles that would be used to monitor Duales's progress. Nightmare had a wide grin on his face. Ths time, no amount of whatever luck helped Kirby overcome Aldeyl will help him. Duales is no mediocre minion. She is an elite soldier. Kirby will notice the very obvious difference... right before he dies.

* * *

Tiff woke up. She looked through the darkness of her room, seeing only the light of the moon and stars illuminating her room. She had this strange feeling... the same as the other nights.

Although it was the middle of the night, she left her bed and slowly tip-toed her way out of the house. The whole house was dark and silent...

As she made it outside, she let her feeling guide her, walking toward the outskirts of the town... where her feeling was confirmed.

He had come tonight too.

Kirby had been acting weird since he defeated Aldeyl a week ago. Normally when he defeated a monster his happy smile returned quickly but not this time...

He had come again, his gaze distant, not focused on the town filled with the friends who loved him. It was directed toward the dark figure of King Dedede's castle, casting its shadow upon peaceful, sleep Cappytown...

Kirby didn't even seem to notice her as she walked to his side and looked at him. He had not played with anyone since that battle, staying away from the others. What was wrong with him?

Slowly, she looked at the castle. In the middle of the night, Cappytown looked almost completely different. The little town, so lively and full of life at day seemed so small, so silent, so peaceful... and so fragile. It was almost like a painting. Likewise, she could see the fortress of the king. At day, the castle was a strange but nice sight, with its brightly colored walls and funny shape but during the night... it stood as a menacing tower atop a sharp spike, its long, black shadow covering all of Cappytown.

How could a monster from the NME appear now? They had defeated Nightmare and destroyed the NME base. And yet... Aldeyl had appeared.

She had been convinced that this would have been the final battle. After all, Meta Knight had said that Nightmare and his forces, once destroyed, would not return for a full millenium.

What could this mean? Does this mean that Nightmare was not truly destroyed?

... or maybe...

... he was revived ahead of the supposed moment?

But if it was so then how did it happen? And why? Who could be insane enough to desire Nightmare's return?... and most importantly, who would have the power to resurrect the living embodiment of all fear?

And does the return of the NME mean that Dedede is again their enemy? Hadn't he learnt his lesson when the NME launched its assault on the town?

"Poyooo..." whispered Kirby.

His voice... it was hurt, confused, sad. At first, the child wondered why her friend was hurt. Kirby had been badly bruised by Aldeyl true but he had recovered. He recovered from injuries quickly and the doctor had done a great job. But then, she remembered how shocked he had been when Aldeyl had not vanished after being defeated and it's at this moment that the realization dawned upon her.

"Kirby..."

The pink creature turned to his friend, slowly.

"Kirby, you did the right thing. That 'Aldeyl' was a bad guy. He tried to hurt you and all of us."

"Pu..." he said, shaking his head once.

She did not need to understand his words proper to know what he was trying to say. His tone and face said it all. Her expression hardened, her determination rising.

"I know that he didn't disappear but that doesn't mean he wasn't a bad guy. Not all bad guys are born monsters just as not all monsters are bad guys."

She was talking about him and despite his infant mind, Kirby could not deny it. He owed his existence to the very bad guy who had been behind all of the pain that he and his friends had went through. But he had not cared back then. He had wished to protect his friends and fought against Nightmare. It was then that he drawn the connection. His sadness vanished as he stared at his friend, as if waiting for her to speak.

"We're all friends and we all protect each others. That's what counts. Whenever a bad guy will appear, I will be there. Meta Knight and Tuff too! We'll always be at your side."

And for the first time in a week, she saw his smile return. Not completely... but a great weight came off her shoulders. To see him calm down was so good after he had avoided everyone for a week. Still... she had not said this only to convince him but also herself. Most of the enemies they had fought were monsters so they had never wondered about if they were really bad guys. After all, Kirby was himself a monster and then there was Yamikage, Nightmare's second-in-command, who used to be a Star Warrior.

... this is all so complicated. But what matters is that Nightmare may be back and if he and his minions are back, they'll kick him off of their planet again. They defeated him once, they can do it again!

Observing the scene from the top of Castle Dedede, Meta Knight remained silent. Although he had been too far to hear what they had been saying, there had been no need.

He could feel it deep within his heart, that nameless fear. Nightmare was not gone. He had returned, somehow and this 'Aldeyl' had been only the first of many. There would be a need to train Kirby more...

Meta Knight turned away from the scene, beginning the slow walk toward his room but then... he felt a strange hunch.

Fast as lightning, he spun around unsheating Galaxia. He looked around briefly but his eyes saw nothing, not even a hint of movement.

Strange...

He had this strange, unpleasant feeling. As if someone had been observing him and the scene.

... he'll need to be watchful.

He hopes from the bottom of his heart that his assumption are all incorrect. But if they are... then things might become complicated.

* * *

"That stupid Nightmare! Incompetent, useless, worthless!"

The round, pitch-black creatures straightened, their dull, empty eyes staring blankly ahead as she passed by. By mistake, in her frustration, the back of her right hand slammed straight into the face of one of the dark troopers. It barely flinched, only blinking once and shrugging.

"Hmmm... my queen?"

The small fairy ceased her mumbling and muffled cursing, her eyes staring up into the eyes of her trusted lieutenant. Instantly he regretted his call, orange spikes strengthening, single eye locked straight ahead.

"It's 'sir', not 'my queen'... idiot." although the last word was whispered, the lieutenant heard it much to his frustation.

"So Our Majesty has returned from her journey into the Outside Space?"

The glance that Miracle Matter shot at her lieutenant was so venomous that for a moment, it seemed like she was going to blast him with a bolt of dark lightning. But she only cursed some more under her breath, shaking her head in dismay and mumbling something about 'being surrounded by idiots'.

"What are you orders sir?" brought up the Dark Matter, wishing to redirect his superior's fool mood toward something that would hopefully result in something else than an undeserved punishment.

"Queen Zero has spoken. It is her will that the armada be assembled. It is time to put our next plan into motion."

This was most curious. A new invasion? Curiosity rose within the Dark Matter's mind and he evaluated the risk and reward ratio involved in asking for more information. Well, he needed to know to fulfill correctly what order was to come next so he decided to risk it.

"An invasion, sir? To invade which planet?"

"Pop Star."

If the Dark Matter had eyebrows, it would have raised one upon hearing the answer.

"Pop Star? But sir, this planet is located barely at the edge of the solar system and the indigenous wildlife are Mistakes so bad not even Nightmare could find uses for them. On top of that, its only civilization is merely at an agricultural level of technology and has only the smallest of standing armies. Any advanced technology they have are unuseable in a military fashion. This planet is defenseless and harmless, its inhabitants so pathetic it wasn't even worth assimilating into our empire. Why should we bother with it now?"

The small fairy begun to visibly shake, her eyes narrowing as she clenched her fists. Sensing the danger, the Dark Matter floated backward slightly...

"I am sorry, sir. Our Majesty's will is our command. Moving out, sir!"

The black liquid sphere quickly flew away leaving its superior to mumble even nastier curses under her breath. Just what she needed. First she get humiliated in front of the queen, then Nightmare get to keep his stupid plans in motion, and now she have to suffer the insultingly low intelligence level of her own minions? That was too much.

Well, she's Miracle Matter, the strongest of Zero's Dark Generals. She will not let a grinning caped idiot and a half-backed Meta Knight clone get ahead of her! She'll assemble that task force in record time and crush that miserable little planet before Nightmare and Dark Meta Knight can even get to stage two of their plans then we shall see who's the best Dark General! She'll even lead her own troops if she have to!

She turned to the closest NZ trooper, her gaze boring into it.

"You. Contact the flagship of our fleet. I wish to oversee the preparations of the genocide task force myself."

"Genocide task force? I thought Our Majesty's orders was to capture Pop Star?" cut the NZ.

Such insolence from such a lowly Dark Matter entity would not be tolerated. He's a mere NZ, a half-solid useless Dark Matter without any actual powers! Who was he to question her?

"You shall be silent! Call my officers. NOW!"

The NZ straightened even further. "Y-yes sir! Right away sir!"

And with that said, it scrambled away as fast as its two small white feet could carry it. Miracle Matter slapped her host body's forehead with her right hand as it ran away, shaking her head in dismay and wondering how Dark Reaper managed to get anything done when surrounded by such incompetent morons. Bah. Just as great minds think alike, so must tiny minds.

**=TO BE CONTINUED**


End file.
